Is it Harder for a Star Player to Win a Championship in the Past or Now?

[Trov]

I was watching PTI the other day and Kornheiser made a statement that got me thinking.  He was asked who was best player to never win a championship in baseball.  He said first, I will not consider anyone after the playoff expansion, which he did not make clear if he meant from 2 teams to 4 or 4 to 8, or what it is now.  Either way, he said the reason he would not consider it because it is much easier now for a player to win a championship now then back then.  I understood where he was coming from, that now more teams make playoffs each year, so you have more chances to make the playoffs and get through that, but on the reverse side with more teams in playoffs, if you make the playoffs you have more series to get through to win a championship.  

So the question is, because more teams make the playoffs is it easier for a star player to now win a championship, or was it easier for a star player before because the best teams in a 162 game season made the playoffs and only had to win 1 or 2 series until the late 90's?  

[nicksaviking]

I don't follow Kornheiser's math. The question was who was the best player to never win a championship, not get to the playoffs. Only one team wins it each year, all things being equal, the odds are the same.

Which actually is inaccurate. There are more teams now than their used to be. It would have been easier for Ernie Banks battling only 15 other teams than it is for Mike Trout fighting against 29.